Hey everyone! I’m back from Indonesia!

It’s so good to be home on the Malaysian soil once more.

Was very sad to leave Indonesia so soon though! 

Admittedly though, this four day escape to our neighbouring country really did me well.

Those of you who have me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook would know darn well how stressed and emotional I was regarding the political turmoil happening in Malaysia, biased news coverage, headlines on our mainstream media and never-ending protests in our nation’s battle for democracy. 

Black days of mourning with my nation in protest of the breach of democracy 

Keperitanku tidak dapat diluahkan dalam perkataan. Kurasa ditipu oleh pemimpin sendiri!!

This had me following each and every update in the news pertaining to the tumultuous situation; getting so riled up in the process.

At that point, I wished I could just shut my eyes and just forget about all the troubles we were facing… or better yet, jet-set to another country for a while.

And I did.

Thanks to the US and Indonesian ASEAN committee, it's good thing that my trip to Indonesia for ASEAN Blogger Festival 2013 was scheduled last Thursday. 

I was invited to be a panel speaker during the conference. My session was 'Photoblogging' where I spoke about photoblogging, and addressed issues of the rise of photo-heavy content and incorporating photography into social media.

Thank you for having me! And kepada semua participant yang menghadiri session saya, terima kasih!

I hope you have learnt a thing or two 

How coincidental! Just what I needed – a moment to focus on my passion instead of my sorrows.

After three days of conferences, I'm home.

I’ve just landed in KLIA (Kuala Lumpur International Airport) and 

feeling lethargic from all the travelling and transiting!

Now that I'm back, I don’t know if I should catch up with where I left off? 

Sebenarna, aku sudah tidak tertahan dengan keadaan huru-hara politik ini!! 

I’m still keeping myself in the dark about our political updates as we speak.

Succumbed enough to the political outrage. I guess… sometimes, ignorance is bliss after all.

I'm a happier person that way.

So anyway, what’s been happening this week? A LOT.

Here's a little recap! 

Attended Global Sound System – the official dance party of Music Conference Asia 2013!

Full blog coverage up soon!

Attended the Heineken Kick-Off to Ibiza beach party at The Mines Wellness Hotel

Full blog coverage up soon!

Headed back to gym to continue my daily routines

Let's get it on!

I cannot stress this enough, always remember to hydrate!

Your output of perspiration needs more input of h20! 

Here are some of the post-workout food I cooked this week.

Due to popular request (or rather, demands from you all! ), I will also run a series of cookbook articles where I will be sharing the recipes of cooking clean food and low-calorie meals when the revamp of the new face of my blog is launched, okay?

Grilled lemon-butter herb salmon and organic wholewheat durum spaghetti bolognaise

with mushrooms & chopped chives – all on top of a bed of crisp, fresh lettuce

A platter of rosemary & thyme grilled zucchini with low-fat cottage cheese,

roasted baby carrots, tomato, chick peas & black eyed peas

with baked pears for that extra, natural sweetness!

Wholegrain oats with soy milk, toasted banana slices sprinkled

with chocolate protein powder and sunflower seeds
 

Grilled salmon with sides of honey-baked baby carrots,

garlic pea sprouts and organic sunflower seeds

A power combo sandwich of tuna, omega eggs, organic brown flax seeds,

hemp & lettuce on traditional wheat bran toast.

Quick breakfast of Chocolate Protein Oats with apples, soy and flax seeds

Tuna salad with chickpeas, hardboiled eggs and lettuce

Spent time cuddling my kittyboy Chivas at home after my four days of absence.

I can't tell if he loves me or not, as my cat is seemingly incapable of expressing emotions 

Tetapi biarkanlah. I'll just love him anyway, regardless! 

To me, I enjoy loving and letting love surround me. 

There are many types of love, yes? It really doesn't matter if the feelings of the other person/animal/item are mutual.

If you love someone/something, it makes your world go round. To resonate with love and affection gives me a certain glow of happiness and a sheen of joy!  

Tak setuju? Well, when you love someone, it makes you happy, right?

Your argument is invalid 

Was surprised with a McDonald's Hamburglar X Hello Kitty!

Was surprised again last week with the McDonald's Grimace X Hello Kitty!

I wasn't the only one being surprised. We decided to give babyChivas a girlfriend.

He didn't seem too amused nor fascinated with his new companion. Boo-hoo! 

Aight, it's time to hit the sack. 

It's been a long weekend and a brand new working week beckons us

Colleagues and I fooling around at work during breaktime.

Also, how often do we turn up in the same pattern of workwear? Never. Totally worth a photo!

Before I end this post, let me wish my dearest mother, godmother, nanny and grandmother…

"No language can express the power, beauty, heroism and majesty of a mother's love.

It shrinks not where man cowers, and grows stronger where man faints, and over wastes of

worldly fortunes sends the radiance of its quenchless fidelity like a star"

Dear mommies, your presents are with me! Await them when I see you at the end of this month 

So sorry I couldn't be home to take all of you out, as I just touched down from Indonesia only this afternoon.

What about you? I do hope you had a great time with your mothers, or at least, remembered to personally wish her a very Happy Mother's Day.  

Even the fact that we, their children, had them in our thoughts, would mean so much to them. Yup, mothers are really that selfless… or at least mine are! 

Sometimes, people tend to forget how the simplest things in life can be the most extraordinary.

But not for me. It’s always the simplest, tiniest surprises that makes the little girl in me most delighted!

Or… could it probably be just an excuse for me to eat ice-cream? 

Terpulanglah kepada saudara-saudari bagaimana nak mengerti! Hehehe 

Have a lovely week ahead, dear readers. 

Much love,

Jessicat

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The Sunday Times is a weekly series; published every Sunday night to recap the highlights of my week, capture what piques my interest and to briefly highlight my recommendations for to-go and to-eat places!

Some photos were posted instantly on my Instagram, Twitter, Facebook & my Mini LIVE Blog

Do follow to get instant updates and pretty photos of the sights & sounds all around me!

Good evening folks!

This week’s The Sunday Times had been delayed as I’ve been out of the country for that famed beach rave & turned into a hungover zombie over the weekend.

But yes, I’m back in Malaysia already and my past seven days have been a whirlwind!

The start of my week gave me a very invigorating experience. I’m honoured to be one of the select few to dine with a brand-new concept to hit Malaysia’s food & beverage scene.

I was invited to try the ‘Dining in the Dark KL’ by Werner’s on Changkat

*blogpost HERE!*

Spent some time in Pavilion KL and checked out Burberry’s latest Autumn/Winter collection.

Had been eyeing something in particular the moment I spotted it on London Fashion Week.

Wanna see? 

It’s now here in Malaysia! The Burberry Prorsum Alma Gold Fox Clutch! 

Had dinner with Konzy, Pam & Rama thereafter at Komugi Cafe in Tokyo Street @ Pavilion KL

I recommend the Pumpkin Soup served in a bread bowl & the baked marble cheesecake! 

Indulged in some Jap cuisine at Shogun Japanese Buffet @ 1 Utama for lunch the next day

Made time for my workout routines at the gym.

Don’t have time for gym? MAKE BLOODY TIME! 

Monday madness!

Wacky Wednesdays!

You’re running on guts. On fumes. Your muscles twitch. You throw up. You’re delirious.

But you keep running because there’s no way you’re not crossing the finish line.

It’s a misery that non-runners don’t understand.

– Martine Corstello

Can’t wait for the run at the end of the week!

Had some extra time on my hands and thought I deserve some pampering.

Gave myself a pretty manicure with my new nail lacquer from OPI!

A deep shade of red, aptly named Bastille My Heart.

Oh don’t remind me -_-“

Had a good breakfast the very next day…

Honey Oats with Roasted Almonds & a dollop of Peanut Butter!

And off I went to Singapore for an extended weekend of my annual pilgrimage… ZoukOut 2012! 

So much to say, show & share the footages in my next blogpost, but first here are two photos that somewhat summarizes both my days at ZoukOut!

ZoukOut 2012 Day 1

ZoukOut 2012 Day 2!

Surprisingly, I was supremely kind to my wallet (and bank account!) this time round!

I used to incur exorbitant expenses each time I’m in Singapore all because of the shopping at twice the amount of money; no thanks to exchange rates! 

For this trip, guess how much I spent in Singapore, in total?

Only RM250 for four days! Amazeballs, if I do say so myself 

The bulk of my expenses all went to commuting via public transportation and of course, good food.

If it’s something I’ve learnt throughout the years, it’s to never to be stingy on food.

Nothing more satisfying than a good meal of something you really enjoy eating! 

Here are some of the food I ate whilst in Singapore:

Teppanyaki Chicken McGrill from McDonalds!

Before you snort at my eating McD of all things in another country, it’s because we don’t have that in Malaysia!

Neither do we have pork bacon in our McBreakfasts, for obvious reasons. 

Ergo, I literally PIGGED OUT when I dined in Singapore!

The next meal I had was:

The popular Bak Chor Mee (Minced Pork Noodles with Pork Balls) from Bedok 85!

Fried Oysters with Eggs | A combo of both Black and White Carrot Cakes! (aka turnip cakes)

I was quite exasperated that night. Hear me out?

The stall owner refused to speak in English with me when I placed my order in English.

I tried communicating with her in English; only to be responded in Mandarin, again & again. 

Fine. Assuming she couldn’t speak a word of English, I mustered all the little Mandarin I knew and spoke to her quite terribly, after much struggle.

The next thing I know, when my Caucasian boyfriend placed his order with her, she smugly spoke in (simple yet fluent!) English to him.

Got trolled. JESUS CHRIST, WOMAN! You made me go through all that hassle for nothing LOL!

The next day, my lovely host & buddy June took us out to Octapas Spanish Tapas Bar @ Clarke Quay

As if the waterfront view isn’t fabulous enough, here are some photos of our scrumptious feast!

I had some personal favorites! 

Allow me to list my recommendations 

Among those which topped my list were: Bacon-wrapped Prawns with Tomato Salsa, Grilled Squid with Balsamic Vinegar Reduction, Leg of Lamb Stew with Courgettes & Aubergines, Beef Tenderloin Cubes sauteed with Olive Oil & Garlic and finally, the Pan-fried Cod with Poached Onion 

I had my first Vegan Burger at ZoukOut 2012 from Vegan Burg.

The patties were made of soy with plum sauce. Tasted rather odd and bland to me 

Perhaps I just wasn’t used to it. After all, it is a far cry from the usual meat & cheeseburgers!

Sorry environmentalists, looks like I’ll always love my meat 

The next night, we had Vietnamese baguettes from Bag★ette : The Viet Inspired Deli at Vivo City.

Chicken for me, and pork for him.

The baked cheesecake that came with the set was very light, smooth and soft to the touch.

The type that melts in your mouth! Would someone deliver it all the way to Malaysia? 

***

Apart from my extreme dosage of bottles and bottles of Meiji low-fat milk…

…which I never fail to pick up whenever there was a 7-11 in my immediate vicinity, I had my favorite Weissbrau mango beer with some friends, at Brotzeit German Bier Bar & Restaurant @ Raffles City.

Drink up! 

The final day in Singapore saw us having a goodbye lunch with June dearest 

I had Claypot Glass Noodles with Soft Shell Crab in Thai Express @ Vivo City

Well recommended! I loved this to bits 

Farewell Singapore!

Although I love your little country, I’ll always be glad to cross over the causeway back to Malaysia where I regain unlimited 3G data on my iPhone and where we can smoke (for smokers!) or chew gum anywhere we please without so much as a fine 😛

Dropped by Chilis Bar & Grill for some pub grub.

Cajun Club Sandwich for him & Southwestern Eggrolls for me

Needless to say, I had a splendid week! Hope yours was just as fun-filled as mine

Have a perfect seven days ahead of you! Seize every day like it’s your last 

Much love,

Jessicat

———————————————————————————————————————————————–

The Sunday Times is a weekly series; published every Sunday night to recap the highlights of my week, capture what piques my interest and to briefly highlight my recommendations for to-go and to-eat places!

Some of the photos in this edition are posted instantly on my Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr & Facebook

Do follow to get instant updates and pretty photos of the sights & sounds all around me!

LOL I've titled this blogpost as such because I've been having lotsa people – readers, family, friends alike – all asking me this very same question.

So Jess, how have you been in Australia? What have you been up to….. BESIDES PARTYING?

They just *had* to insert that last bit, didn't they? 

the morning after partying!

Haha but I don't blame you guys… clearly, I've been partying my arse off till the sun rises but ironically, this girl here hits her studies twice as hard as she parties.

Yup! mark my words, I am VERY, very, very serious when it comes to my academic progress despite appearing to be on the heat of parties all the time (of which I don't deny). I have been this way since high school – I fancy bad-ass fun but likewise, I fancy beaming at potential High Distinctions on my grades too 🙂

Me and my girls at South 8 on rez

Yup, we're taking a break from partying one wednesday night and hit up our books till the wee hours of the morning.

Studying and typing furiously at our assignments over coffee, tea and some Oreo Cheesecake I baked 😉

What else have I been up to? So much more you can't imagine.

Oh and if you have to know, I put my Chicken and Mushroom pie in the  microwave and completely forgot to take it out.

goodness gracious! My burnt lunch one Friday afternoon

Also, disregarding the fact that I took an epically long shower until my lunch got burnt, I have also been up to some gastronomic fun! If you've been following my tweets, you would know that I have been cooking up a storm and baking some nomnoms frequently. 

Yes, I have a new hobby now! Cooking and baking.

And by cooking, I don't mean microwavables nor instant food that come in packets.

I was referring to REAL food cooked from scratch and proper, scrumptious feasts! 😀 😀 oh joy. A whole blogpost dedicated to that soon!

Also, I have been a hardcore game freak 

As Pokemon Black & White has just been launched in Australia last week, buddy Kon and I headed up to Traralgon to buy our much anticipated game! He's playing Pokemon White while I took Pokemon Black.

this was shot on my 2nd day of the journey.

As we speak, I have just acquired the 7th Gym Badge and my team of 6 are now level 45.

Yup, rekindling childhood has never been better!

The last time I actually gamed for 7 hours straight was when I was a child of 10.

And now, fast-forwarding through a decade… a young lady of 21

So.. what else besides gaming, cooking & baking, studying and partying?

Nothing really. Hmm.. watching movies and perhaps some sexytimes 😛 LOL kidding

The checklist pinned up on the noticeboard in my West 32 rez. Rather interesting, no?

My housemates and I are equally as insane!

Anyway, back to some seriousness.

I've just fnished my E-Journalism assignment last night… which is due in 4 days! Yipppee.

BUT I've just only started my Cultural & Communications Policy essay of a 1000 words today. Yikes. 

AND THAT'S DUE IN 5 DAYS TIME.

Which means…. I've gotta run!

Need to continue my research on this assignment 🙂

I hope I've answered your question 🙂

Tooodles! xx